Hi, ho! Hi, ho! It’s off to Disney you go! Today, I’m sharing our 7 day Disney World itinerary from the trip to Disney World we just took this week with our daughters, ages 7 and 9. Everything is still fresh on my brain, and I want to share before some of the details disappear! We booked one week at Disney World. But you can easily adjust this itinerary to suit your needs. You can modify our schedule for an 8 day Disney World itinerary, a 6 day Disney World itinerary, a 5 day Disney World itinerary, or even a 4-day Disney World itinerary. If nothing else, it can at least give you some insight into how you might break up your days at Disney with kids. And we’ve even made a free printable Disney World planner for you to use!
One thing to note is this post will not feature at EPCOT itinerary. This Disney World itinerary will also split Magic Kingdom into two days. We opted for four days in the Disney parks and two days of down-time at the resort in the middle of our trip. Rather than visiting all four parks, we chose to skip EPCOT this time and do two days of Magic Kingdom instead.
As much as EPCOT appeals to me with its flower and garden show, its lovely global exhibits and multicultural foods and drinks, it seemed like the park that would be the least kid-ccentric. It seems to be a great Disney park for adults. But EPCOT is adding more attractions to appeal to the younger crowds. Hopefully, we are able to include EPCOT on our next Disney World itinerary!
Obviously, everyone’s itinerary will look a little different. Our day 2 had to completely revolve around the fact we had a late night dinner reservation at the castle in Magic Kingdom on our very first full day. If you are not planning to have special dining reservations, you will have more flexibility with your overall day. And having a free day with nothing to schedule around is so much easier!
We had a Disney travel expert help us make our initial arrangements. She provided us with a very thorough daily itinerary. I took some ideas from her itinerary and also lots of other resources I found online and created my own daily Disney itinerary which is listed below.
How to Use Our Free Printable Disney World Theme Park Planner PDF
The My Disney app will be an extremely helpful tool for you as you plan your trip. It will also provide invaluable assistance as you navigate the parks. However, some people still prefer to have an old school paper planner even during this age of high-tech living. It’s me. I’m those people. Maybe it’s you, too! If so, enjoy our free Disney planning printables to help you stay organized!
I would suggest you print multiple copies of our free Disney World itinerary template – one for each Disney World theme park you plan to visit. Then, you can scan our daily Disney itineraries listed below and fill in the things that matter to you. Of course, you need to make your own Disney reservations for character meals and special shows, etc using your My Disney app first.
You can take the physical paper Disney planning printables with you to each park. However, I also would suggest taking a good photo of each printable theme park planner and keeping them on your phone. You will be using your phone A LOT on your Disney World trip. You could even set it as your log screen or screensaver so it is extra handy for you to access.
Day 1 – Arrival Day
- 3 p.m. – Departing Flight
- 7 p.m. – Arrival at resort
Our flight put us in Orlando around 7 p.m. This gave us a bit of time to explore our resort and get ready for a super busy next day at Magic Kingdom! If your flight arrives earlier, you can totally squeeze in some Disney adventure for the afternoon or evening. Most of the Disney resorts will store your luggage for you if you arrive before check-in time. You just need to make sure you have a separate backpack ready for visiting a Disney park if that is what you plan to do.
If you are hesitant to pay for a park pass for the day of your flight (in case of flight delays, etc.), you can always enjoy the resort pool or take an afternoon or evening venture into Disney Springs.
Day 2 of Disney Itinerary – Our Day at Magic Kingdom with a Late Dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table (in Cinderella’s Royal Castle)
What a busy and magical first day! We hit the ground running at 6 a.m., getting ready. At 7 a.m., I secured my Lightning Lane requests in My Disney Experience app. By 7:30, we were on the complimentary Disney shuttle from the resort. By 8 a.m., we were entering the gates of Magic Kingdom.
- 6 a.m. — Get up and get ready
- 7 a.m. — Log onto My Disney Experience app and secure the first Lightning Lane for the day
- 7:15 – 7:30 a.m. — Wait for complimentary Disney shuttle to Magic Kingdom while eating a grab-and-go style breakfast (cereal bars, fruit, etc.)
- 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. — Arrive at Magic Kingdom and enjoy early entry to the park if you are a guest a Disney resort. (Also, some guests are able to get into the parks as early as 7:30 so the earlier you are, the better)
- 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.. — Ride, ride, ride in Fantasyland! We rode 7 Dwarfs Mine Train first [the earlier the better – this line gets crazy long!], Dumbo The Flying Elephant, Goofy’s Barnstormer (a favorite!), Mad Tea Party, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, It’s a Small World (not a super exciting ride but it is a boat ride in an air-conditioned building which is a nice breather), and the Regal Carousel. We missed Peter Pan’s Flight, but it is also in this same vicinity.
- 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. — Take a break and have a snack – like a Mickey pretzel or some popcorn – and cold drink in the area near Haunted Mansion. TIP: Buy a refillable Disney popcorn bucket at one of the kiosks for $13. You can take this bucket to all the parks with you for the rest of the week, refilling it at any popcorn kiosk for $2.25. In the end, it will turn out to be the cheapest snack for your family at Disney. This suggestion was given to me by my Disney travel agent and also some attendants at the park.
- 12 – 1 p.m. — Ride the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square.
- 1 – 2 p.m. — Late lunch from the Harbour House (use your My Disney Experience app to put in a mobile food order 30 minutes to an hour ahead of time) Find the little shaded outdoor tables area a little ways behind Harbour House. Sit in the shade and have lunch. Restrooms are nearby, also.
- 2 – 3:30 p.m. — Ride, ride, ride in Adventureland! (We rode Pirates of the Caribbean and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. We missed Jungle Cruise – a super popular ride that many use with their Lightning Lane. It is also in this area.
- 3:30 – 4 p.m. — In the Adventureland area, find the Dole Whip Magic Kingdom booth called Aloha Isle (behind the Carpets of Aladdin ride) and enjoy either a lime pineapple float or an original pineapple Dole Whip. Both are delicious! The Sunshine Tree Terrace is another Dole Whip Magic Kingdom booth with an orange Dole Whip.
- 4 – 6:30 p.m. — Head back to the resort on the complimentary shuttle for a break and a chance to freshen up before coming back to Magic Kingdom for dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
- 6:30 p.m. — Take a Disney complimentary shuttle back to Magic Kingdom.
- 7 p.m. – Peruse through some of the nice shops on Main Street, take pictures in front of the castle and elsewhere in the softer light of sunset hour in summer. (In fall and winter, you will need to plan this for earlier.)
- 7:45 p.m. – Arrive at Cinderella’s Royal Castle and wait to have photos made with Cinderella ahead of the dinner reservation.
- 8: 45 – Dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table
Day 3 Disney World Itinerary – A Day at Animal Kingdom
Everything about Animal Kingdom seemed so much more mellow than Magic Kingdom. The lines seemed shorter. There were places to sit and relax. The day even seemed cooler – but that part was just total luck.
- 6 a.m. — Get up and get ready
- 7 a.m. — Log onto My Disney Experience app and secure the first Lightning Lane for the day
- 7:15 – 7:30 a.m. — Wait for complimentary Disney shuttle to Animal Kingdom while eating a grab-and-go style breakfast (cereal bars, fruit, etc.)
- 7:30 – 8 a.m. — Arrive at Animal Kingdom and enjoy early entry to the park if you are a guest a Disney resort (also, some guests are able to get into the parks as early as 7:30 so the earlier you are, the better)
- 8 – 9:30 a.m. — Ride, ride, ride in Dinoland USA and play in the Boneyard. (We rode TriceraTop Spin and Dinosaur.)
- 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. — Ride Expedition Everest in Asia (our favorite!)
- 10:30 – 11 a.m. — Refill your popcorn bucket for snack time and head across the street from Everest to the Discovery River Amphitheater. Eat your popcorn and wait for the next performance of Disney Kite Tails (either Lion King or Jungle Book) over the water.
- 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. — Ride Kali River Rapids and prepare to get a bit wet. The true fun of this ride comes after you get off. On the walkway bridge just as you exit the ride are several little signs with a green button on the bridge railing. You can press the button and soak the people who are still on the rafts coming out from under the bridge! We had the best time playing pranks on those poor people in the rafts. They never saw it coming! Insert evil laugh here…I also had a blast waiting in line for Kali River Rapids and taking in all the eclectic Asian-style decorations. There was genius global styling that went into this space!
- 12 – 1 p.m. — Walk to Africa and go on the Kilimanjaro Safaris. A Lightning Lane comes in handy for this ride.
- 1 – 2 p.m. — While in this area, don’t miss the street corn vendor in the outdoor food court! Unless you made character meal reservations for Tusker House or table service dining reservations for Yak and Yeti (back in Asia), you will probably want to pick up lunch in one of these outdoor food court vendors. Everyone I know that has experienced the Tusker House character dining has raved about it. We did not have a reservation. We ate outdoors near Harambe Market. I suggest the chicken bowl from Harambe Market to add to your street corn. There are some nice outdoor seating areas with mounted fans blowing – perfect to cool you off.
- 2 – 2:30 p.m. — Ride the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and visit the petting zoo
- 2:30 p.m. – Get in line at Harambe Theatre (still in Africa) for the live performance of The Lion King. (The line builds up fast for this show in the air-conditioned theater. If you miss out, you can try again for the 4 p.m. or the 5 p.m. showing. The show is about 40 minutes long.)
- 4 – 6 p.m. — Ride Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’Vi River Journey in Pandora (Lightning Lanes would be fantastic for one of these if possible. The line for Avatar can get insane.)
- 6 p.m. — Head back to the resort on a complimentary shuttle bus. Find dinner at the resort.
If you find yourself with some extra time, you can visit Discovery Island and watch the 10 minute show “It’s Tough to be a Bug.”
Day 4 of Disney Itinerary – Breakfast at Chef Mickey’s and Afternoon at the Pool
This day is to re-energize and enjoy some of those resort amenities that we are paying for! Most Disney resorts have multiple on-site dining options so you can chill, eat, and drink all while poolside.
- 9:45 – 11 a.m. — Breakfast reservations at Chef Mickey’s at The Contemporary Hotel
- 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — A trip via monorail from The Contemporary to The Polynesian Resort just to explore another resort and to take the kids on the monorail.
- 12:30 – 1 p.m. — Take the complimentary Disney bus from The Contemporary back to the resort
- 2 – 8 p.m. — Pool day at the hotel/resort
Day 5 of Disney World Itinerary – Another Pool Day at the Resort
Although it wasn’t intentional, we wound up with two back-to-back days of downtime. Originally, I wanted the two chill days to be scattered. But this actually worked out well as we were very much refreshed to hit it hard the next day at Hollywood Studios.
We were able to sleep in on this day! We had zero schedule, and it was lovely! If you do feel like getting off the resort, this would be a great day to visit Disney Springs or maybe hit one of the Disney World water parks. For us, the nice pools at our resort was just what we needed!
Day 6 of Disney Itinerary – A Day at Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios has a different vibe than the other parks. Well, each park has its own vibe, actually. But Hollywood Studios seems to really lure in the adults with its mega Star Wars fan club that is everywhere. I saw just as many, if not more, Star Wars shirts as I did Mickey or Minnie-inspired shirts.
- 6 a.m. — Get up and get ready
- 7 a.m. — Log onto My Disney Experience app and secure the first Lightning Lane for the day
- 7:15 – 7:30 a.m. — Head to the Disney Skyliner station (if coming from a Skyliner-connected resort like Caribbean Beach Resort) to await the Skyliner that drops off at Hollywood Studios. Take a grab-and-go style breakfast (cereal bars, fruit, etc.)
- 7:30 – 8 a.m. — Arrive at Hollywood Studios and enjoy early rope drop to the park if you are a guest a Disney resort. Some guests are able to get into the parks as early as 7:30 so the earlier you are, the better!
- 8 – 9:30 a.m. — Ride, ride, ride in the area of Sunset Boulevard (We rode Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, and Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy.)
- 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. — Refill your popcorn bucket for snack time and head to the big amphitheater beside Tower of Terror. Get in line for a showing of Beauty and the Beast live performance. (It isn’t air conditioned, but it is a covered outdoor amphitheater with huge ceiling fans. You should cool off here, and the show is wonderful.)
- 10:30 – 11 a.m. — Ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (You might try a Lightning Lane for this one. Also, there is a snack stand in front of this building that has great churros and Mickey pretzels if you wish for another snack.)
- 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Ride, ride, ride everything you can in Toy Story Land! (There is Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania, and Alien Swirling Saucers. Slinky Dog Dash often has a long line so another Lightning Lane might be good here if you can swing it.)
- 12 – 1:00 p.m. — Grab lunch at Woody’s Lunch Box in the Toy Story Land area. (You also could have a character meal reserved for lunch at Hollywood and Vine. But you must have reservations and it is a pricier choice since it is a character meal.)
- 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. — Get in line for the 1:30 p.m. showing of Frozen Sing Along. (This is such a fun hour-long show AND it is inside an air-conditioned/heated auditorium! What a great way to beat the afternoon heat or cold! The narrator actors are a hoot! If you can’t make it in for the 1:30 show, you can catch the 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, or 6:30 show – Mondays through Fridays.)
- 2:30 – 4:15 p.m. — Grab some ice cream at Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream and catch the 3:15 showing of Indiana Jones (just across the street from the ice cream shop)! If you miss the 3:15, you can still catch the last showing of the day at 4:30 p.m.
- 4:30 -6:30 p.m. — Head to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to hit the Star Wars rides. (Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is highly rated and usually has a long wait time. A Lightning Lane would be great for this one. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is also a highly-sought after one. We really enjoyed Star Tours: The Adventure Continues. It is more of a 3D space flight which takes you to popular Star Wars destinations. It is fun!)
- 6:30 – Either head to dinner at one of the Hollywood Studios restaurants (like Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, Sci Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, or 50s Prime Time Cafe – some may need reservations) or head back to the resort and enjoy dinner there. Rest up because you have one more busy day tomorrow!
Day 7 of Disney World Itinerary – One More Day at Magic KIngdom
Today is day 7 of our 8 day Disney World itinerary! It’s the day to hit Magic Kingdom hard and catch all the good stuff that was missed the first day at Magic Kingdom!
- 6 a.m. — Get up and get ready
- 7 a.m. — Log onto My Disney Experience app and secure the first Lightning Lane for the day
- 7:15 – 7:30 a.m. — Head to the shuttle station and await your complimentary shuttle to Magic Kingdom. Take a grab-and-go style breakfast (cereal bars, fruit, etc.)
- 7:30 – 8 a.m. — Arrive at Magic Kingdom and enjoy early entry to the park if you are a guest a Disney resort (also, some guests are able to get into the parks as early as 7:30 so the earlier you are, the better)
- 8 – 9:30 a.m. — Ride, ride, ride the rides in Frontierland. (We love Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain!)
- 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. — Refill your popcorn bucket at one of the popcorn kiosks. Head to Country Bear Jamboree for a little air conditioned break and entertainment. This 10-12 minute long show will give you a little break from the elements. (This show is a little hokey and old-fashioned, but it’s a good breather.)
- 10 – 11 a.m. — Explore Tom Sawyer Island or Swiss Family Treehouse
- 11 – 11:30 a.m. – Ride the Liberty Square River Boat and check out the scenery.
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Grab lunch at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Cafe (Try the chicken fajitas! Or maybe you have reservations for lunch at Be Our Guest – Belle’s Castle.)
- 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. — Ride, ride, ride the rides in Tomorrowland! (The People Mover is more fun than it looks. It’s a nice slow-moving ride with a breeze. Astro Orbiter and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin are fun ones in this area. The Carousel of Progress seems to get overlooked. We missed it the first day. But it is a nice breather and is a different kind of ride. Space Mountain is a must! The lines tend to be long so it is a good one for Lightning Lane. But if you can’t get a Lightning Lane, at least the majority of the line is inside in a modern air conditioned building.)
- 2:30 – 3 p.m. — Grab an iced coffee at Joffrey’s Revive or a Coke Slushie or blue raspberry Slushie at The Lunching Pad for an afternoon treat. Or stop at Cool Ship for a churro with chocolate sauce!
- 3 – 6 p.m. – Head back to the resort for some afternoon rest.*
- 6 – 8 p.m. – Take the shuttle back to Magic Kingdom to make the 6:30 dinner reservations at either The Plaza or The Crystal Palace (both are pricier options that require reservations and involve table service) or use your mobile food ordering feature on your app to pre-order a foot-long chili dog at Casey’s which is near the Magic Kingdom entrance.
- 8 p.m. — Have someone in the family start staking the best spot for watching fireworks in the courtyard area just in front of the royal castle for the 9:20 grand fireworks show. (People start claiming spots super early – like around 7:15. The fireworks area will get nutso crazy and crowded. A plan is helpful.) The rest of the family can ride some rides while at least one person holds down a spot. The person holding the spot should have some physical items to help mark space. (We learned this lesson the hard way!)
- 8:50 p.m. — All family members should be in place for the fireworks. Announcements will begin soon. It is very difficult to find people and to move around by this point with the GIGANTIC crowd.
- 9:20 p.m. — Grand fireworks spectacular (It is truly something not to be missed!)
- 9:45 – 11 p.m. — Ride as many rides as possible! Rides are extra special at night time! (Members of deluxe Disney resorts get to ride rides for an additional hour – until midnight!)
- 11 p.m. – Catch a shuttle back to the resort and think about all the great memories of this amazing vacation!
**
*If you are not able to have two days of Magic Kingdom as I have in this Disney itinerary, you may need to skip the afternoon rest hours at the hotel and do some of the activities I listed earlier on Disney World itinerary day #2. You will have a full packed day at Magic Kingdom!
Day 8 – Departure Day
I guess my Disney itinerary is technically an 8 day Disney World itinerary. However, all we did was wake up, pack our stuff, check out and head for the airport on day 8. So I’m not really counting this day as part of my itinerary. If someone had a flight or car leaving much later in the day, they could possibly squeeze in a morning at EPCOT or spend some time browsing at Disney Springs before leaving on day 8 of Disney itinerary.
Well, there you have it, friends. My 7 day Disney World itinerary will look different from yours. Lots of factors will shift a Disney World itinerary – what times you secure your Lightning Lane passes and for which rides, what type of food you are in the mood for at lunch and dinner, how much you are willing to pay for meals, whether or not it rains and your plans have to be bumped, etc. But I hope seeing the breakdown of our days will help you in formulating your own structured plan. My Disney agent was very helpful in supplying me with suggestions for each park before our trip. I used her helpful suggestions, studied the maps, looked up information and reviews, and then formulated my own plan from there.
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